Matthew 27 - Good Friday
An Unlikely Act of Devotion
Father, thank You that You had this night planned before time. Even now as we come in, Lord, would You settle our hearts to meditate on what Good Friday is? Slow us. Free us from busyness and distraction. Help us to enter into this story in a new way. Though these passages may be familiar, would You speak to us? Let them be fresh. We pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Now the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread were two days away, and the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to arrest Him covertly and kill Him. For they were saying, “Not during the festival, otherwise there will be a riot of the people.” While He was in Bethany at the home of Simon the leper, He was reclining at the table, and a woman came with an alabaster vial of very expensive perfume of pure nard. She broke the vial and poured the perfume over His head. But there were some indignantly remarking to one another, “Why has this perfume been wasted? For this perfume could have been sold for over 300 denarii, the money given to the poor,” and they were scolding her. But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why are you bothering her? She has done a good deed for Me. For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want, you can do good to them. But you do not always have Me. She has done what she could. She has anointed My body beforehand for the burial. Truly I say to you, wherever the gospel is preached in the entire world, what this woman has done will also be told in memory of her.” Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went off to the chief priests in order to betray Him to them.
Mark 14:1-10 (NASB)
Now the Passover and Unleavened Bread were two days away; and the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to seize Him by stealth and kill [Him]; for they were saying, ‘Not during the festival, otherwise there might be a riot of the people.’ While He was in Bethany at the home of Simon the leper, and reclining [at the table], there came a woman with an alabaster vial of very costly perfume of pure nard; [and] she broke the vial and poured it over His head. But some were indignantly [remarking] to one another, ’Why has this perfume been wasted? ‘For this perfume might have been sold for over three hundred denarii, and [the money] given to the poor.’ And they were scolding her. But Jesus said, ’Let her alone; why do you bother her? She has done a good deed to Me. ’For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you wish you can do good to them; but you do not always have Me. ’She has done what she could; she has anointed My body beforehand for the burial. ‘Truly I say to you, wherever the gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of in memory of her.’ Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went off to the chief priests in order to betray Him to them.
I want you to imagine for a moment what it was like to be in that room. Jesus has now publicly declared who He is to everyone—to the religious leaders and the like—that He is indeed the Messiah, the very Son of God. In this scene, the focus shifts from the religious leaders who wished Him dead to those who love Him and have dedicated their very lives to Him. We are in an intimate setting, a meal together.
Look around the room and see who is present. Of course, Jesus is there. The twelve disciples are certainly present. It is at the home of a gentleman by the name of Simon the leper. We know very little about him, but we assume he had been healed by Jesus. Out of incredible gratitude for what Jesus had done in his life, he is now hosting this gathering. Lazarus is there too. Just chapters before, he had fallen sick. His sisters, Mary and Martha, rushed to Jesus, summoning Him to come quickly, but as you know the story, Jesus was “late.” He didn’t get there in time, and Lazarus died. Jesus wept for him, and then He did the unthinkable: He called this man out of the grave and raised him from the dead. So, Lazarus is there, worshiping his Savior.
Also in that room are Lazarus’s two sisters, Mary and Martha. You know Martha so well—always serving, always doing things for Jesus. But she is so much more profound than just a worker; she gets who He is. She once said to Him, “Yes, Lord. I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God.” But her sister Mary takes a different posture. Not one of serving, but one of sitting. What is most interesting about Mary is that she is mentioned only three times in the Gospels, and every time she is mentioned, she is at the same place: at the feet of Jesus.
The Fragrance of Sacrifice
There is a room full of grateful people, but there is also a very ominous feel. The tide of public opinion has shifted against Jesus. Though He has foretold His imminent death at least three times, the disciples simply don’t quite get it. But Mary does. She understands that the calm before the storm will not last forever. She can’t just keep celebrating; she has to express to Him one last time how deeply she loves Him.
She brings a vial of pure nard, likely a family heirloom of incalculable value, both in terms of wages and sentimental worth. This was something you would never normally bring to a dinner party. The text says she “broke the vial.” She didn’t just unseal it; she broke it, ruining it so it could never be used again. She poured the perfume over His head, and John’s account adds that she anointed His entire body and wiped His feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance.
Mary wiped His feet not with a towel, but with her hair. This was an act normally reserved only for slaves. Her position demonstrates the posture of a humble, reverent servant honoring her Master. Christ sees this for exactly what it is: this woman was anointing His body a week before He was to go to the cross. She has a sense of urgency. She is saying, “Jesus, You are my everything. You are my most valued treasure.”
Imagine being in that room, watching this unashamed woman give lavishly to her Savior. She interrupts dinner to show this planned, sacrificial, and intensely personal gesture. And what is most surprising is that in all three accounts of this story, Mary never utters a single word. Only her actions are recorded. Without saying a word, she showed everyone in that room—and everyone in this room—what true worship looks like. Two thousand years later, her supreme act of devotion is immortalized by Jesus for us to remember.
While You Were Asleep
Last night, while you were asleep, the moon was shining so bright that it lit up the whole sky. Last night, while you were asleep, the waves on the shore went further than before. As the sun disappeared behind the mountains and the howls of the foxes reminded us of their existence, a night that began like any other night changed the course of our whole lives.
Last night, while you were asleep, Satan, the tempter, invaded the heart of one of Jesus’s disciples. The sweet sounds of the tempter’s lure vibrated in his ear—a plan to become Jesus’s rival. A decision was made; the Savior was sold for silver. One man’s greed led to the plans of another man’s assassination.
Was it anger? Was it greed? Or did this disciple just not believe that Jesus was who He claimed to be? For three years, he walked with Jesus, saw the miracles, saw the thousands fed with two fish and five loaves. How could he see this and still not believe? He was deceived by demons, receiving pieces of silver for the Son of Man. Judas put a price tag on Jesus last night while you were sleeping.
The Last Supper
There was a lot that happened after that anointing and the plot to betray Him. There was the triumphal entry on Palm Sunday and the moment Jesus boldly cleansed the temple. Then came the moment when Jesus asked His disciples to get things ready for the Passover meal, better known to us as the Last Supper.
This was more than just a meal with friends. This was part of an incredible tradition the Jewish people had practiced for over fifteen hundred years. It started when God raised up Moses to deliver the Hebrews from slavery. After the tenth plague, when the angel of death passed over the homes covered by the blood of the lamb, Pharaoh finally let the people go. They left in such haste that their bread hadn’t even risen, which is why we have the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Generation after generation, this meal reminded them of the goodness of God and His deliverance.
On the first day of Unleavened Bread, the disciples asked Jesus where they should prepare the Passover. Jesus gave them specific instructions to find a certain man in the city.
Matthew 26:17-19 (NASB)
Now on the first [day] of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus and asked, ‘Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?’ And He said, ’Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, ’The Teacher says, ‘My time is near; I [am to] keep the Passover at your house with My disciples.’‘’ The disciples did as Jesus had directed them; and they prepared the Passover.
Preparing this was a tremendous job. They had to get a room, bitter herbs, wine, bread, and the lamb. There were a million people or more in the city at this time of year. Over 100,000 lambs would be sold in a small perimeter. The blood of the lambs was so plentiful that it would flow into the Kidron Valley, literally turning the brook red for several days, reminding everyone that it takes blood to atone for sin.
Jesus said, “My time is at hand.” In Greek, there are two words for time: chronos and kairos. Chronos is general chronological time. But kairos is a specific, predetermined moment. Jesus is showing us that He is not a victim. He is in complete control. He is sovereign. He will go to the cross exactly when He determines to do it.
As they were reclining at the table, Jesus dropped a bomb. He said, “Truly I say to you, one of you will betray Me.”
Matthew 26:20-25 (NASB)
Now when evening came, Jesus was reclining [at the table] with the twelve disciples. As they were eating, He said, ‘Truly I say to you that one of you will betray Me.’ Being deeply grieved, they each one began to say to Him, ‘Surely not I, Lord?’ And He answered, ’He who dipped his hand with Me in the bowl is the one who will betray Me. ‘The Son of Man [is to] go, just as it is written of Him; but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born.’ And Judas, who was betraying Him, said, ‘Surely it is not I, Rabbi?’ Jesus said to him, ‘You have said [it] yourself.’
That statement would have sucked the life out of the room. The disciples were shocked, asking, “Is it I, Lord?” Even Judas pretended he didn’t know. But notice the difference in their language. The others said, “Is it I, Lord?” Judas said, “Is it I, Rabbi?” That slip of the tongue revealed his heart. He didn’t see Jesus as Lord; he just saw Him as a teacher. When Jesus affirmed that Judas was the one, Judas left, and Jesus took the remaining disciples even deeper.
The New Covenant
Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread and, after blessing it, broke it and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” And He took a cup, and when He had given thanks He gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.”
Matthew 26:26-29 (NASB)
While they were eating, Jesus took [some] bread, and after a blessing, He broke [it] and gave [it] to the disciples, and said, ‘Take, eat; this is My body.’ And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave [it] to them, saying, ’Drink from it, all of you; for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins. ‘But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.’
Jesus was transforming the Passover into the Lord’s Supper. He was saying, “This meal has always been about Me.” All those sacrificial lambs pointed to the true Lamb of God. The deliverance from slavery in Egypt pointed to our deliverance from the slavery of sin, death, and Satan. The message of the Passover is that death comes for all, but a sacrifice will rescue us.
In communion, the bread is His body—the body that would be scourged, beaten, and carry a cross to Calvary to die in our place. The wine is the blood of the covenant, poured out for our forgiveness. We are called to remember, to proclaim His death until He returns, and to anticipate the coming kingdom where we will feast with Him again.
Let’s take communion together now. Take your cup. First, we take the bread, just as they did at the Last Supper. Jesus took bread, blessed it, and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.”
Now let’s take the cup. He took the cup, gave thanks, and said, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is My blood of the covenant which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”
Gethsemane: The Cup or the Sword
A few hours later, Jesus went into the Garden of Gethsemane. He took Peter, James, and John further into the garden and asked them to do one thing: watch. Jesus was deeply sorrowful, saying the distress in His heart was so great it almost crushed Him. Can you feel His pain as He prepares for Calvary?
He asked for the cup of suffering to be taken away, but He ultimately submitted to His Father’s will, saying, “Not what I want, but what You want, Lord.” Meanwhile, the people closest to Him fell asleep. He asked them three times to stay awake, but they couldn’t. He warned them, “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
Then the crowd arrived with Judas. Judas identified Jesus with a kiss—a common way to greet a friend—and Jesus replied, “Be quick about it, friend.” When they arrested Him, Peter drew his sword and cut off the ear of the high priest’s servant. Don’t laugh at Peter; there are some “Peters” in this room. I would have done the same thing. But Jesus said, “Put your sword down.” He touched the man’s ear and healed it, practicing what He preached: love your enemies.
When life challenges us, we have two options. We can take the cup, which means submitting to God’s will, or we can use the sword, which means insisting on our own way. How are we doing on that choice? The cup or the sword?
The Illegal Trial
Jesus was taken to the Sanhedrin, the supreme council of the Jews. This trial was illegal on multiple fronts. It took place at night, which was forbidden. It took place in the high priest’s house, which was also illegal. They brought false witnesses whose stories didn’t match. Finally, Jesus declared His own identity: “You will see the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of the Mighty One, coming on the clouds of heaven.”
The high priest tore his robes in outrage, and the others began spitting on Jesus, punching Him, and mocking Him. From there, they took Him to Pilate, the Roman governor, because only he could legally sentence someone to death. The Jewish leaders changed the charge from blasphemy to political rebellion, claiming Jesus was a rival to Caesar.
Pilate had Jesus whipped. Scourging was a brutal punishment involving a whip with pieces of bone and glass that tore the flesh. Jesus stood there and took that for you and for me. The soldiers mocked Him with a crown of thorns and a purple robe. Pilate tried to find a way out; he offered to release a prisoner, hoping the crowd would choose Jesus over Barabbas, a convicted murderer. But the Sanhedrin persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas.
Pilate washed his hands, saying he was not responsible, and sent Jesus to be crucified.
The Road to Calvary
Shortly after being beaten, Jesus was loaded with the crossbeam. This was a sign of guilt and shame, but the irony is that He carried it for our crimes, not His own. He was led through the city along the Via Dolorosa. He became so weak that the soldiers forced a man named Simon of Cyrene to carry the cross the rest of the way.
In the crowd were spectators, mourners, and faithful followers like Mary Magdalene and the apostle John. His own mother was there, watching her firstborn prepared for execution. Around 9:00 AM, they arrived at Calvary. They drove nails through His wrists and feet. Above His head, a tablet read: “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.”
As He hung there, He was mocked by the crowd and by one of the criminals hanging next to Him. But the second criminal saw Jesus for who He truly was. He humbled himself and asked Jesus to remember him. Jesus responded, “Today you shall be with Me in paradise.” Even in His agony, Jesus looked down at His mother and asked John to care for her. His love could not be stopped.
It Is Finished
At noon, darkness came over the land and stayed for three hours. At 3:00 PM, Jesus cried out, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” In that moment, He experienced a separation from the Father as He bore the weight of all our sin—every lie, every murder, every bit of hatred.
Then He cried out, “Tetelestai!” which means, “It is finished.” In the ancient world, this word was written across tax receipts to mean “paid in full.” His redemptive work was complete. He made one final statement: “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit,” and He voluntarily gave up His life.
At that moment, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The barrier between God and man was ripped away. The old sacrificial system was over. We now have access to the God of the universe through the sacrifice of Jesus.
They thought they had won. They plotted, they betrayed, and they thought He was forgotten. They arrested Him like cowards in the darkness. They beat Him until He was bruised and bleeding. They chose a murderer over the Messiah. They nailed Him to a rugged cross and watched Him suffer for six hours until His breath was gone. They thought evil had defeated Him.
But evening came, and a rich man named Joseph of Arimathea, a disciple of Jesus, went to Pilate to ask for the body.
Now when it was evening, a rich man from Arimathea came named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus. This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut out of the rock. And he rolled a large stone against the entrance of the tomb and went away. And Mary Magdalene was there and the other Mary sitting opposite the tomb.
Matthew 27:57-61 (NASB)
When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus. This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given [to him]. And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the entrance of the tomb and went away. And Mary Magdalene was there, and the other Mary, sitting opposite the grave.
Father, Your sovereignty and mercy are astounding—that You would sacrifice Your own Son so we could become sons and daughters of the King. Thank You that on the cross, You cried out, “I thirst,” so that we would never have to thirst again. Lord, may we meditate on the beauty and the horror of the cross tonight. Because it is finished. Amen.